SEL is the process by which people of all ages develop the knowledge, self-awareness, and personal well-being to build the emotional competencies that are necessary to thrive in both academics and life.
Five core social-emotional learning skills are Self-awareness, Self-management, social awareness, Relationship skills, and Responsible decision-making.
The following SEL activities can be adapted to help teach fundamental social and emotional skills to school children of any grade level.
1. Art activities
SEL Skill- Self-awareness
Art is a great way for students of all ages to relieve stress and share their feelings in a positive and healthy way.
Start by selecting a piece of music (or a poem or story) for students to respond to. Request that they use art tools to respond, providing prompts like:
How did it make you feel?
Is this music happy or sad?
What colors did the music remind you of?
2. Practical tasks
SEL SKILLS- Responsible Decision-making, and Self-management.
Your classroom is a busy place with a lot going on. Keep it organized and decent with a chart that encourages students to take responsibility for simple, age-appropriate classroom chores such as:
- Watering plants
- Sharpening pencils
- Erasing the board
- Keeping track of timed activities
- Delivering attendance to the office
- Keeping the classroom library organized
- Turning the lights on and off in the classroom
If you’re teaching remotely, put students in charge of:
- Tracking attendance
- Moderating the chat section
- Many more
3) Mindfulness activities
SEL SKILLS: Self-awareness, Self-management
you can try the activity below;
Alright, let’s pause.
Breathe in, and out.
Lower your shoulders and sit up straight.
Doesn’t that feel better?
Mindfulness breaks can teach students of all ages how to recognize and regulate their emotions when they are unhappy, scared, or stressed.
Take a minute in your classroom and try some of the activities below.
Roleplay some stressful situations and teach students to:
- Stop
- Take a breath to calm down
- Observe the situation
- Proceed with a solution
4) Goal-setting activities
SEL SKILL: Self-management
A big part of social-emotional learning is cultivating a growth mindset — and what better way to do that than setting goals?
Make goal setting a regular part of your classroom routine.
Did you find this post helpful? Have a question? Let us know!
%20Activities%20for%20all%20Classes){kind=link}